Recycling Efforts in Kodaikanal Township

Kodaikanal International School’s initiatives with the Recycling project began with great enthusiasm, big goals and a greater vision. What would the town of Kodaikanal look like if KIS made a concerted effort to engage local schools, hotels, shopkeepers and businesses to join together to tackle the problem of waste management in and around Kodai through education, awareness and provision of recycling bins? KIS alumnus Clarence Maloney ‘52 volunteered. He was instrumental in getting the various parties involved, sharing his vision with KFI and alumni which sparked giving.

The project began this past semester and was well underway when a shift in leadership was needed when Clarence had to return to the US unexpectedly. Dr. Rajamanikam, solid waste management consultant, was hired by KIS and on March 6th he began to carry on what Clarence had begun.

Dr. Rajamanikam reports great progress was made in March! He reports:

• $17,307 of your donations to KFI were used by KIS for the Recycling program and the purchase of a vehicle (see picture above)
• 13 schools and 2 civic organizations in Kodaikanal were contacted, 8 schools granted permission for immediate outreach
• 8 schools and 1 self-help group received training
• 2 community groups engaged in the program: the Rotary Club of Kodaikanal and the Palani Hills Conversation Council
• 14 outreach sessions were conducted
• 140 KIS operational staff received formal education regarding sustainable solid waste management and onsite training on waste segregation
• 1609 participants were reached through demonstrative lectures followed by question and answer interactions
• Tamil and English presentations were conducted according to each school’s medium of instruction
• Students made two key decisions: 1) not to use single-use plastic carry bags and to minimize the use of plastic; and 2) to educate their family and society about how to handle and properly segregate waste

With the onset of exams in April, outreach efforts were wrapped up for the 2016/17 school year and will resume in June when Dr. Rajamanikam returns to Kodai. Dr. Rajamanikam’s reports on his work are informative and filled with interesting insight.

To read more, click on the following:

• 2017-04-07 Report (1) waste audit conducted at KIS w recommendations
• 2017-04-07 Report (2) solid waste management outreach and training sessions at KIS
• 2017-04-07 Report (3) KIS-assisted solid waste management project in schools of Kodaikanal

I encourage you to go through his presentations and read the reports. I am confident you will be encouraged and inspired. If you are inspired to make a donation to KFI for Service and Environmental Educational:

Gifts to other funds are also welcome. Click here for the list and select the Donate button for the project you are interested in supporting.

Truly, together we can (and ARE!) accomplishing more! The impact for good through this project is limitless.

MinHo Heo ’16 Aung-Thwin/Reble Scholar

I would like to start by extending a  big thanks to the donors for the Aung-Thwin/Reble Scholarship.

Before I received this scholarship in Grade 11, I wasn’t expecting to stay in Kodai School anymore. I had even applied to another school and I was expected to move there and stay until graduated. However, the Aung-Thwin/Rebel scholarship stopped me from losing out on staying at this beautiful and wonderful school. This was a fantastic opportunity and it was perhaps a great chance for me to have greater exposure in the community.

There were expectations that I had to keep up and I had to satisfy myself, you – the donors, and KIS in every aspect. This made me grow as a person, which eventually made me into an all-rounder. From the time I received this scholarship, my GPA kept on rising and my extra curricular activities increased. My leadership skills have developed through Youthrise (President), Golf (Captain), and Orchestra (Conductor) – all of which have kept me challenged throughout the semester.

I don’t know how to express my thanks to you for your gift.

Thank You!

MinHo Heo
Grade 12
Kodaikanal International School

Youthrise International – Board of Directors, Chairperson
Youthrise International – Executive, President
School Golf Club – Captain
Green School Alliance – Board member

Contributed by David’s 1961 Classmates

When our classmate, David Nykerk ‘61 died in 2013, the class wanted a memorial in his name to be placed at Kodaikanal International School, his alma mater. After a tree idea was rejected, David’s wife Mary decided a bench would be ideal – perhaps placed to overlook the tennis courts that David loved so much.

However, we faced a problem. For the most part we classmates live in the United States and the bench needed to be purchased in India. Thankfully, Sara Ann Emerson Lockwood ’61 stepped in while she was in Karaikudi, South India for several months working at the Bangala Hotel – an area known for its antiques.  Sara Ann found a beautiful bench, much to her surprise and Marilyn Stenger Watson affirmed the choice while visiting Sara Ann.  It is believed the bench originally came from a maharaja’s house (palace?).

The bench needed a little work, as India’s climate is rough on metal. After it arrived in Kodai, Merrick Lockwood ‘59  wire brushed it and painted it black, and attached a small plaque in David’s memory. A decision was taken to move the location to the area around the flag pole where it now stands by the wall overlooking Kennedy dorm.

~Martha Thompson Wilcox, ‘61 Class Rep

Our family has just returned from a wonderful backpacking trip to India. One of our highlights was our visit to Kodaikanal International School. It was a trip that Dave was hoping to take as a family even after his diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, unfortunately that wasn’t possible.

One of our main focuses was to see the bench that was dedicated to Dave which is located near the flagpole. We were very impressed with it! We would like to say “Thank You” for your contributions and to Sara Ann and her husband Merrick, Martha and Marilyn who managed all the logistics!

We had a wonderful four days in Kodaikanal.

~Mary Nykerk

Sponsored by Kodai Alumni International (now disbanded) —

The trip to Dubai may have been one of the most influential trips I have been on in the duration of my high school life. While I have been to four Model United Nations conferences in the past, never before had I the chance to voice myself as much as I did during DIAMUN 2016. This conference provided me with a newfound confidence. Being put into a room with over 90 delegates and still being able to speak my mind and be recognized as a delegate with new ideas to bring to the table was an ecstatic experience I would never forget. What I think made this different from the other conferences I attended was the luck I had to be delegated to Iran in the 1^st General Assembly; one of the topics we debated on was “The question of Iran and its rights to nuclear power”. Not only was I a central figure for the topic, but I was also put in a position where I would be heard and recognized by all members of the committee; something I was not accustomed to prior to this experience. For the first time in my life, I was actively involved and a key figure in writing a resolution on the topic. Not only did the resolution get passed within my committee, but the resolution was also presented in the plenary. The plenary is an event where all the General Assembly’s gather and present the best resolutions proposed in the committee and I had the incredibly rare experience of being able to speak on my own resolution. The delegates were extremely intelligent, the chairs smart, and all members of the staff friendly which overall made the conference a memorable event.

On another note, one must not forget that this conference took place in one of the biggest metropolitan cities in the world, Dubai. While I used to live in Dubai when I was much younger, returning years later and seeing how much the city had grown and developed was amazing. When I was a resident, I never had the chance to see the city as a tourist. Given the opportunity to see the city in this new light was an enlightening cultural experience. What’s even more, I am an HL IB Visual Arts student and from day one, I was already taking pictures and jotting away for new ideas and pieces I had been inspired to make after having had seen the beauty and rich culture in Dubai.

All in all, I felt as though this trip was a life changing experience and considering it may as well have been one of the last conferences I attend during high school, I couldn’t have asked for any better way to finish my MUN experience. Considering I was initially not going to attend as a result of financial difficulties, I am extremely grateful for having been able to attend this trip and cannot express enough gratitude for presenting me with this opportunity. It is an experience I would never forget.

~ Subadra Sudhir ‘17